According to Caixin magazine, Wang was awarded a scholarship worth 200,000 yuan ($29,000) by the township government and the school as a reward for getting into PKU. The school also held an hourlong firework display to celebrate Wang's achievement.

Wang said he is grateful to many people for being able to enroll at PKU. Although his parents were far from home, they always reminded him to study hard whenever they called, and his grandfather was also strict about his academic studies.

Moreover, teachers at Mangbu Secondary School helped him greatly and his classmates also motivated him, he said.

The school's success is the result of Zhenxiong's continuous investment in education and the importance it attaches to education, especially in the less-developed areas, Wang said, adding that in his six years at the school, he witnessed how the teaching facilities were upgraded.

The sacrifices made by the teachers are also responsible for the school's development, with some treating the students like their own children, he said.